BOCA RATON, FL (BocaNewsNow.com via Lynn Cancer Institute) — The Eugene M. & Christine E. Lynn Cancer Institute (LCI) at Boca Raton Regional Hospital today announced that it has been granted a Three-Year Accreditation with Commendation by the Commission on Cancer (CoC) of the American College of Surgeons (ACoS).
A facility receives a Three-Year Accreditation with Commendation following the onsite evaluation by a physician surveyor during which the facility demonstrates a commendation level of compliance with one or more standards that represent the full scope of the cancer program (cancer committee leadership, cancer data management, clinical services, research, community outreach and quality improvement). In addition, a facility receives a compliance rating for all other standards.
Established in 1922 by the ACOS, the core functions of the CoC include setting standards for quality multidisciplinary cancer patient care, surveying facilities to evaluate compliance with the 36 CoC standards, collecting standardized and quality data from accredited facilities, and using the data to develop effective educational interventions to improve cancer care outcomes at the national, state and local level.
“Our mission is to provide a comprehensive continuum of cancer services to our patients and their families,” said Louise Morrell, MD, Medical Director of LCI. “Our patient-centered approach recognizes the impact cancer has on the lives of individuals and their families and includes a fully integrated range of services to provide the best possible care.”
The American Cancer Society (ACS) estimates that more than 1.6 million cases of cancer will be diagnosed in 2012. There are currently more than 1,500 CoC-accredited cancer programs in the US and Puerto Rico, representing close to 30 percent of all hospitals. This 30 percent of hospitals diagnose and/or treat approximately 80 percent of all newly diagnosed cancer patients each year. In addition, a national network of more than 1,650 volunteer Cancer Liaison Physicians provides leadership and support for the CoC Accreditation Program and other CoC activities at these local facilities.
The Accreditation Program, a component of the CoC, sets quality-of-care standards for cancer programs and reviews the programs to ensure they conform to those standards. Accreditation by the CoC is given only to those facilities that have voluntarily committed to providing the highest level of quality cancer care and that undergo a rigorous evaluation process and review of their performance.
Receiving care at a CoC-accredited cancer program ensures that a patient will have access to:
- Comprehensive care, including a range of state-of-the-art services and equipment
- A multispecialty team approach to coordinate the best treatment options
- Information about ongoing clinical trials and new treatment options
- Access to cancer-related information, education and support
- A cancer registry that collects data on type and stage of cancers and treatment results and offers lifelong patient follow-up
- Ongoing monitoring and improvement of care
- Quality care close to home
“Accreditation with Commendation demonstrates the continuing commitment to excellence through world-class cancer services right here in our own community,” said Jerry Fedele, President & Chief Executive Officer at Boca Raton Regional Hospital. “We are very proud of our program and the difference our entire oncology team is making in the lives of patients.”
For more information about the Eugene M. & Christine E. Lynn Cancer Institute, please call 561.955.LYNN (5966).
